Panic buying Tylenol-Advil in fear of COVID-19 fake news

Fake news supposedly from SNU graduates encourages OTC hoarding

Aspirin and antitussive out of stock in online pharmacies

Related drugs are experiencing shortage in online pharmacy shops

Tylenol and Advil are out of stock as their demands have skyrocketed due to online fake news encouraging panic buying of OTC drugs and claiming the Korean government’s containment of COVID-19 has failed.

 

On Mar.

 

2, a multiple online pharmacies have posted notice on shortage of Tylenol, Advil and Aspirin.

 

Apparently, the circulating ‘story’ is supposedly a chat between graduates of Seoul National University College of Medicine, which claims the outbreak has entered the ‘community infection’ phase that cannot be contained even with utmost care, and the prognosis of individual would heavily depend on their immune system.

 

The made-up story also talked about concerning stories of how visiting hospital has gotten impossible once infected, and contracting the virus at selected testing sites.

 

The story advised to hoard non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug, antibiotics and antitussive, expectorant and mucoactive agents, such as aspirin, Advil and Tylenol.

 

It also stressed about acquiring emergency food supply as self-quarantined patients would have to stay at home for over two weeks.

 

The participants in the fake chat also argued seniors and individuals with cardiovascular or respiratory conditions are considered high-risk group.

 

The people in the story assumed and hyped the fear of the public institutes and transportations shutting down.

 

A pharmacist from Songpa-gu, Seoul, wondered “There has been a surge of customers buying specifically Tylenol and aspirins.

 

It seems like inaccurate information has been circulating on Youtube and blogs.” Some pharmacies started securing stocks of the said products with abruptly heightened demands, and pharmacists are conflicted among themselves.

 

Another pharmacist in Gyeonggi province commented, “Some pharmacists were worried about stocking up the drugs in the group chat.

 

Basically they are encouraging panic buying, but as others reprimanded them the group chat was split.” The pharmacist emphasized, “It seems like fake news is kept on regenerated and disseminated.

 

Professional pharmacists should not align themselves with it.” Another pharmacist in Gyeonggi province complained of the fake news spreading through social media as many of senior patients suddenly started looking for aspirin.

 

Pharmacists from other regions have agreed on the problem of spreading inaccurate information as many of their customers were asking for aspirin, Tylenol and antitussive, expectorant and mucoactive agents.

 

A few of pharmacy chains have sent out text messages to member pharmacies to inform purchase limit of Tylenol, and suggested purchasing other options with the same agent.